Key retainer

ABSTRACT

A KEY RETAINER HAVING A CIRCULAR HUB WITH A PERIPHERAL SIDEWALL. THE SIDEWALL INCLUDES ONE OR MORE SLOTS WHICH RECEIVE AND RETAIN ONE OR MORE KEY HOOKS. THE SIDEWALL AND SLOTS ARE ARRANGED SO THAT THE KEY HOOKS MAY BE POSITIONED AT ANY LOCATION ABOUT THE PERIPHERY OF THE HUB IN CAROUSEL FASHION. THE HOOKS MAY BE ATTACHED AND   DETACHED BY SIMPLE MANIPULATION OF THE HOOKS THROUGH A SPECIALLY FORMED SLOT IN THE HUB. IN ONE EMBODIMENT OF THE DEVICE, THE HOOKS ARE SLIDEABLE ALONG AND WITHIN AN ANNULAR SLOT IN THE SIDEWALL. IN ANOTHER EMBODIMENT OF THE DEVICE, THE SIDEWALL ITSELF IS ROTATABLE ABOUT THE HUB.

Sept. 28, 1971 Y. Y. KIMEL KEY RETAINER Filed June 22, 1970 YOEL JKZIMEL WW M AT'I'ORNI'IYS United States Patent 3,608,343 KEY RETAINERYoel Y. Kimel, 249 Upland Road, Newtonville, Mass. 02160 Filed June 22,1970, Ser. No. 48,049 Int. Cl. A47g 29/10 U.S. Cl. 70-45611 9 ClaimsABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A key retainer having a circular hub with aperipheral sidewall. The sidewall includes one or more slots whichreceive and retain one or more key hooks. The sidewall and slots arearranged so that the key hooks may be positioned at any location aboutthe periphery of the hub in carousel fashion. The hooks may be attachedand detached by simple manipulation of the hooks through a speciallyformed slot in the hub. In one embodiment of the device, the hooks areslideable along and within an annular slot in the sidewall. In anotherembodiment of the device, the sidewall itself is rotatable about thehub.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to key retainers and,more particularly, to retainers of the type used in pocket key cases inwhich the keys and key hooks may be detached simply from the retainerwhen desired. The invention is a significant improvement over priordevices which employ special locking mechanisms having complex movingparts or spring elements in order to grip firmly and retain the keyhooks in place. My invention is effective to retain the hooks, duringnormal use, without the use of special movable locking devices.Additionally, the structure of the key retainer facilitates isolation ofa single key on the retainer without detaching it from the retainer bymounting the hooks for rotation in carousel fashion about the retaineritself.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In brief, my invention includes a central hubmember of generally flat, disc-like configuration having a peripheralsidewall. The interior of the hub is hollow to define a chamber withinthe sidewall. A slot is formed along the sidewall. The key hook, whichincludes a shank portion and an enlarged knob portion at one end of theshank is retained by the hub with the knob disposed in the chamber andthe shank projecting through the narrow slot in the sidewall. The keybook may be removed by manipulating it through a removal slot formed inthe hub which is in communication with the slot in the sidewall andwhich defines a multi-legged path terminating in an enlarged openingwhich permits the knob to be removed. The key hooks may be positioned atvarious locations about the hub by sliding them along and through theslot in the sidewall.

In another embodiment of the invention, the sidewall includes an endlessring which is rotatably mounted about the hub. The ring includes aplurality of circumferentially spaced slots which receive the key hooks.The key hooks may be positioned about the hub by rotating the sidewall.The key hooks may be removed through a removal slot formed in a portionof the hub by aligning the selected "ice hook with a multi-leggedremoval slot formed in the hub having the enlarged removal opening atthe other end of the slot.

Each embodiment of the invention may be attached to one side of a wallportion of a key case by providing a rigid backing member at the otherside of the wall portion and then securing the hub and backing membertogether through the wall portion of the key case.

Each embodiment of the invention also includes a special multi-leggedremoval slot in which the various legs are disposed at angles to eachother to reduce the likelihood of inadvertent separation of the keyhooks from the device.

Among the primary objects of the invention is to provide an improveddevice for retaining, detachably, a plurality of keys which avoids theuse of any cumbersome or awkward mechanically movable locking elements.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel key retainer inwhich the keys are attached to a central hub and in which the keys maybe rotated to various positions about the hub in carousel fashion.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS These and other objects and advantages ofthe invention will be understood more fully from the following detaileddescription thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is an illustration of a key case embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a partly broken away illustration of one embodiment of theinvention; and

FIG. 3 is a partly broken away illustration of another embodiment of theinvention.

DESRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT FIG. 1 shows the invention asemployed in a key case having walls 10 foldable into a compact, closedarrangement. The key case also may include a flap 12 for mounting thekey retainer, indicated generally by the reference character 14 thereto.

FIG. 2 shows one embodiment of the key retainer. This embodimentincludes a pair of spaced discs 16, 18 of generally circularconfiguration. Each disc has a pcripheral flange 20, 22 respectively.The discs 16, 18 are secured together in spaced relation by a stud 24which passes through a central hole formed in each of the discs and aspacer 26 which surrounds the stud 24 to space the discs 16, 18 so thattheir peripheral flanges 20, 22 are spaced to define the peripheral slot28. The stud 24 may be secured directly to the lower disc 18 or when thekey retainer is attached to a key case as shown in FIG. I, the lower endof the stud 24 is passed through a hole in the flap 12 and through acentral hole in a backing member 30. The bottom end of the stud 24 thenis swagged into the countersunk portion 32 of the hole in the backingmember 30.

The embodiment shown is intended for use with a key hook 34 having a keyretaining loop 38 at one end of the shank and an enlarged knob 40 at theother end of the shank. As shown, the knob 40 of the hook 34 is retainedwithin the annular chamber 42 within the hub. The peripheral slot 28 iswide enough to permit the shank 36 to pass freely therethrough but topreclude passage of the enlarged knob 40. Thus, the key hook 34 may bepositioned at any location about the slot 28 while retaining the hookattached to the hub.

The key hooks 34 may be attached and detached from the hub by aspecially formed removal slot, indicated generally by the referencecharacter 44. The removal slot is formed to define a plurality of legs46, 48, and 50 in the disc 16. The legs 48, 50 of the slot are disposedat an angle to each other and lie in the same general plane as saidplate or disc 16. Thus, the key hook 34 may be removed by manipulatingthe shank 36 through the legs 46 and 48 and then at an angle through theleg 50. The width of each slot leg is less than the dimensions of theknob 40 of the key hook 34 except for the very end of the slot leg 50which includes an enlarged opening 52 through which the knob 40 may bepassed. Thus, with this arrangement, the key hooks 34 may be removed bya simple yet definite manipulation. There is little chance of the keyhook 34 working its way inadvertently through the multidirection removalslot 34 to the enlarged opening through which the knob 40 may be passed.Thus, the invention retains the keys effectively without, during normaluse, the use of any awkward or cumbersome mechanically movable lockingdevices, springs or the like.

In the preferred embodiment, the legs 48, 50 are disposed atsubstantially right angles to each other. It should be noted, however,that any angle may be employed which is sufficiently acute to minimizethe likelihood of inadvertent advancement of the key hook shank throughthe slot toward the enlarged opening.

FIG. 3 shows another embodiment of my invention. In this embodiment, thehub is formed by a pair of spaced flat circular plates 54, 56 which aresecured together in spaced relation by the stud 58 and spacer 60. One ofthe plates 56 has a'marginal shoulder 62 formed about its periphery. Acircular peripheral wall 64 is disposed between the spaced plates 54, 56and is retained within the shoulder 62 for rotation in relation to theother parts of the hub. The circular wall 64 has a plurality of openingsor slots 66 formed therein in circumferentially spaced arrangement. Eachof the slots 66 is open at the upper edge 68 of the sidewall 64. In thisembodiment, the shank of the key hook 34 extends through the slot 66 andis retained in place by cooperation of the slot 66 and the edge 70 ofthe upper plate 54. The key hooks may be rotatably positioned about thehub by simply rotating the peripheral sidewall '64.

The key hooks 34 may be attached or detached from the hub by a removalslot 72 formed in the upper plate 54. The removal 72 has at least twolegs 74, 76 which are arranged at an angle to each other. One end of theremoval slot 72 extends to the edge 74 of the upper plate 54. The otherend of the removal slot 72 has an enlarged opening 76 through which theknob 40 on the key hook 34 may be passed. As in the previous embodimentdescribed above, the path through which the key hook 34 must be passedto separate the hook from the hub minimizes the likelihood of the keyhook 34 becoming separated inadvertently. Similarly, the key hook isretained etfectively without the use of any awkward mechanically movinglocks or springs, etc. Additionally, this embodiment of the inventionmay be attached to a conventional key case in the same manner describedabove in the discussion of the earlier embodiment.

Although in the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, it is preferred to employkey hooks of the type described both having a shank and an enlarged knobwhich are engaged in a slot in the sidewall 64, other types of key hooksmay be employed and appropriate means may be provided for attaching thehooks to the rotatable sidewall 64.

It should be understood that the foregoing description of the inventionis intended merely to be illustrative thereof and that other embodimentsand modifications may be apparent to those skilled in the art withoutdeparting from its spirit. For example, although the preferredembodiment is disclosed as including a hub of circular configura- 4tion, the hub may be formed in other geometric patterns if desired.

Having thus described my invention, what I desire to claim and secure byLetters Patent is:

1. A key retainer adapted to retain a plurality of hooks, said hooksincluding a shank and an enlarged knob at the end of said shank, saidretainer comprising:

a pair of plates of substantially identical peripheral configurations;

means for securing said plates in registry with each other with at leastthe outer peripheral margins of said plates being disposed in spacedrelation to each other to define an internal chamber; said key retainerincluding sidewall means extending about the periphery of said plates,said sidewall means defining, in part, said internal chamber;

means forming at least one opening in said sidewall, said opening beingdimensioned to receive the shank portion of said hooks but being smallerthan the dimensions of said knob portions of said hooks whereby saidknobs may be retained within said chamber with said shanks protrudingoutwardly through said opening in said sidewall: and

a removal slot formed in one of said plates, said removal slot having atleast two legs in communication with each other, said legs beingdisposed in the same general plane as said plate and at an angle to eachother, one of said legs 'being in communication with said opening insaid peripheral wall and the other end of said slot terminating in saidone plate, said slot being smaller in width than the dimensions of saidknob except at the end of said slot within said plate which is enlargedto permit said knob of said hook to pass therethrough.

2. A key retainer as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

at least one of said plates having a peripheral flange formed at theedge thereof, said flange extending toward the edge of the other of saidplates, said edge of said flange being spaced from said edge of saidother of said plates to define said shank-receptive slot.

3. A key retainer as defined in claim 2 wherein each of said plates hassaid flange formed thereabout.

4. A key retainer as defined in claim 1 further comprising:

means for securing said key retainer to one side of a sheet of material,said securing means including a flat backing member at the other side ofsaid sheet of material, said fastener extending through said sheetmaterial and being secured to said backing member.

5. A key retainer as defined in claim 1 wherein said means enabling saidhooks to be positioned thereabout comprises:

said sidewall means being movably mounted to said key retainer formovement along the periphery of said key retainer.

6. A key retainer as defined in claim 5, further comprising:

a pair of circular plates, at least one of said plates having a shoulderformed about its periphery; and

said sidewall being of circular configuration and being retained withinthe peripheral shoulder formed in said at least one of said plates.

7. A key retainer as defined in claim 6 wherein said at least oneopening in said sidewall comprises at least one slot open at one edge ofsaid sidewall adjacent to that of said plates in which said removal slotis formed, said removal slot being registrable with said slots in saidsidewall.

8. A key retainer as defined in claim 7 further comprising:

said means for securing said plates together comprising a fastener inengagement with the central region of said plates.

5 9. A key retainer as defined in claim 8 further com- 3,181,321 5/1965Gits 70456R prising means for securing said key retainer to one side3,257,696 6/1966 Miller 24116 of a sheet of material comprising:3,481,169 12/ 1969 Rossi 70-408 a flat backing member at the other sideof said sheet of material, said fastener extending through said sheet 5FOREIGN PATENTS material and being secured to said backing member.720,198 10/1965 Canada 70 456R References Cited ROBERT L. WOLFE, PrimaryExaminer UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,737,046 3/1956 Jancsics 70-457

